Data Entry Clerk
Salary

For Data Entry Clerks, hourly average wages total $11.84 per hour. Earnings generally vary between $9.09 per hour and $15.67. Residence is the biggest factor affecting pay for this group, followed by experience level. Unfortunately, some people in this line of work are without benefits — just over two-fifths lack coverage. On the flip side, just over a half have medical insurance and more than two-fifths receive dental plans. Most Data Entry Clerks like their work and job satisfaction is high. Participants in PayScale's salary questionnaire provided the particulars of this report.

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

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Job Description for Data Entry Clerk

A data entry clerk enters information into a computer system. In most cases, it is a system based on everyday software such as MS Excel, MS Word, and sometimes Access. In some cases, organizations have their own special systems that clerks must enter information into. Usually, advanced systems keep logs and activities of work completed, but some supervisors must investigate work manually.

Their work is indoors at a computer or another data entry device where a clerk enters alphanumeric information. Many people perform data entry from their home computers as contract and/or freelance work at their homes. Their advancement at the organization depends on the combination of accuracy and typing speed, because more often than not, the data entry often deals with billing and invoicing, and that information must be correct. Usually a wide variety of organizations, big and small and across a whole spectrum of industries, use data entry clerks to enter into information into a computer.

Usually, a high school diploma is the normal educational level, and computer literacy is required for data entry clerks. A typical day depends on the nature on the business. Usually it is an 8-5 schedule, and sometimes there is weekend work. Data entry is mostly mental work; however, the work can be sometimes quite repetitive, and it may not be a good fit for people who need constant change in order to be successful at a position. A daily schedule is very structured and fixed, unless the clerk is doing freelance work at home.

Common Career Paths for Data Entry Clerk

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Data Entry Clerks who go on to become Registered Nurses may see their salaries climb quite a bit. Median pay for Registered Nurses is $55K annually. Career advancement for the typical Data Entry Clerk often leads to becoming an Administrative Assistant or a Customer Service Representative; median salaries in these positions are $6K higher and $3K higher, respectively.

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Popular Skills for Data Entry Clerk

This chart shows the most popular skills for this job and what effect each skill has on pay.

Survey participants wield an impressively varied skill set on the job. Most notably, facility with Database Management & Reporting, Billing, and Data Analysis are correlated to pay that is significantly above average, leading to increases of 31 percent, 30 percent, and 5 percent, respectively. Those who learned Typing also tend to know Microsoft Excel and Data Processing. For most people, competency in Data Entry indicates knowledge of Data Processing and Microsoft Excel.

Pay by Experience Level for Data Entry Clerk

Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.

For many Data Entry Clerks, extensive experience does not lead to significantly more money. Salaries of relatively inexperienced workers fall in the neighborhood of $25K, but folks who have racked up five to 10 years see a notably higher median of $26K. After working for 10 to 20 years, Data Entry Clerks make a median salary of $27K. Data Entry Clerks who have stuck around for more than two decades see earnings that are no higher than those of folks who have worked for 10 to 20 years.

Pay Difference by Location

Data Entry Clerks will find that New York offers an impressive pay rate, one which exceeds the national average by 20 percent. Data Entry Clerks can also look forward to large paychecks in cities like St. Louis (+14 percent), Seattle (+12 percent), Dallas (+8 percent), and Los Angeles (+8 percent). The smallest paychecks in the market, 6 percent south of the national average, can be found in San Antonio. Employers in Fort Worth and Columbus also lean toward paying below-median salaries (6 percent lower and 2 percent lower, respectively).

Data Entry Clerk Reviews

What is it like working as a Data Entry Clerk?

Data Entry Clerk in Seattle:

"Grunt Work."

Pros: The best part about this job is that it is often stress free; you are likely to have minimal responsibility aside from entering information correctly. Probably best for someone happy to keep to themselves all day. I was able to listen to podcasts throughout my shift.

Cons: For someone who enjoys interacting with people, this is not a good job. For someone who enjoys taking on complex levels of responsibility, this is not a good job. In general, one can set their own pace, but some days you may find yourself monotonously entering the same type of data for six straight hours.